Global Connections and Exchange Project

Home Latest News Winners of ICT and Youth Grant Announced

Winners of ICT and Youth Grant Announced

After a long and anxious wait, the results of the ICT and Youth Grant are finally announced. RI SOL invited applications from Bangladeshi youth (up to 18 years old) to participate in an ICT and Youth Grant competition. (Please find the announcement here). The grant competition is part of Global Connections and Exchange Program-Bangladesh. The GCE is a project of Relief International-Schools Online which has set up internet enabled computer centers in 27 schools in 10 districts in Bangladesh to facilitate ICT based education and cross cultural projects for students, teachers and communities. In addition to promoting mutual understanding and enduring ties among schools, teachers and students across borders, GCE programs provide communities with access to information, exposure to ICT and opportunities for participation in public life. The GCE in Bangladesh has been made possible with the funding support from the United States State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Global Catalyst Foundation.

Winners of the competition receives a grant to implement ICT based project which promotes education, social awareness, youth volunteerism, community development, cross cultural collaboration and dialogue, youth activism for social change, social entrepreneurship, adolescent health ( e.g. HIV/AIDS).

The jurors of the competition conducted a preliminary desk assessment following an evaluation rubric comprising several broad criteria: Objective/Achievement/Effectiveness, Innovativeness, Appropriateness, Motivation, Replicability/Usefulness.

Congratulations to the finalists and winners!
On this occasion, RI-SOL would like to take this opportunity to praise all the applicants for their wonderful ideas to integrate ICT in community development, educational and socially important projects.
Winners will receive certificate and prize money to implement their projects. The winners will also be invited to upcoming GCE Youth Leadership Camp to be held in 2008 in Dhaka. The winners will get opportunity to share and disseminate results and impacts of their project at the camp which will be attended by youth leaders, teachers, educators, media professional, GCE partners and associates in Bangladesh.

For further information about the ICT and Youth Grant, contact Eather Newaz at or Lazina Sharmin at

Winners and a brief description of the winning projects

Name: Ms. Farghina Akter Monni
School Name: Chowara Girl’s High School
Grade: X
Age: 15
District: Comilla
Title of the project: Combating Bird Flu and Avian Influenza Endemic in Bangladesh

Brief Summary of the project: Since 2007, Bangladesh has been struggling to combat avian influenza. Till early February, the H5N1 virus had spread to 45 out of the country’s 64 districts. Nearly 970,000 birds have been culled since the virus was first detected in March 2007, threatening the impoverished country’s growing poultry industry and thus hampering the economic development. At least 5 million of the country’s more than 140 million people are directly or indirectly involved in poultry farming, of whom officials estimate around 1.5 million have now become jobless. However, access to information about how to combat the avian influenza could reduce the associated risks. Lack of access to correct information about the avian influenza and prevention methods make the country more vulnerable to the threats of epidemic. Through the project, a website will be created in local language and community people, local poultry workers will be invited to a number of workshops to be held at ILC. The workshop will use multimedia presentations on the avian influenza and how to prevent it. Besides, the community people will also be able to visit the school ILC to get information on avian influenza digitally available in Bengali language. The goal of the project is to raise awareness and help communities fight against the avian influenza.

Name: Ms. Tanjina Akter Koly
School Name: Chowara Girl’s High School
Grade: IX
Age: 14
District: Comilla
Title of the project: Have you got your Birth Certificate

Brief Summary of the project: The present rate of birth registration in Bangladesh is between 7 and 10 per cent (UNICEF: 2007). The government is endeavoring to boost the figure substantially. Bangladesh recently made possession of a birth certificate mandatory in order to access certain public services such as education and immunization, and to exercise the right to vote. As such, birth registration will ensure fundamental rights for many Bangladeshi people. However, people and communities in rural Bangladesh are not completely aware of the importance of birth registration and they even do not know how to get the birth registration or whom to contact for a birth certificate. Through the project, ILC resources such as computers, digital cameras will be utilized to conduct a number of workshops for community people to raise awareness about the birth registration, to provide information on how to receive birth certificate.

Name: Ms. Tahmina Akter Bristy
School Name: Chowara Girl’s High School
Grade: X
Age: 15
District: Comilla
Title of the project: Youth Volunteerism

Brief Summary of the project:Youth play important role in community development in Bangladesh.In rural areas youth are engaged in a range of community service projects which are bringing positive changes in society making difference in lives of community people. The youth also play important roles during the natural disaster which frequently affects Bangladesh. The project 'Promoting Youth Community Service through ICT'. This database will store information of the youth volunteers, contact details, location, their areas of interest and previous experiences with youth volunteerism.The online database can be accessed and used by any youth organizations or community based organizations to organize and conduct volunteer youth service activities especially during the natural disasters.

Name: Mr. Hasibul Anwar Bappy
School Name: Siraj Uddin Sarker Vidyaniketan
Grade: X
Age: 15
District: Dhaka
Title of the project: Saving the Future

Brief Summary of the project: The project will engage community members and young students in a series of campaign activities to raise awareness about the importance of conservation of environment. The project activities include lunching of a dedicated website, internet research, publication of newsletter, power point presentation for community members and students at the ILC and use of Photoshop.

Name: Mr. Raihanul Amin
School Name: Siraj Uddin Sarker Vidyaniketan
Grade:X
Age:16
District: Dhaka
Title of the project: Making Heroes, Serving People

Brief Summary of the project: Through the project activities, the students will be able to know the importance of volunteerism in developing countries and will realize the value of the power youth volunteerism. The project will use computer, internet and other communication technologies such multi media projector for the workshop for fellow students. Through the multi media projector, the project will show case the examples of youth volunteerism around the world and the powerful impact of the youth volunteerism in making difference in peoples lives.

Name: Ms. Sabiha Mahbub
School Name: Pahartali Girl’s High School
Grade: X
Age:15
District: Chittagong
Title of the project: Raising Community Awareness about through ICT

Brief Summary of the project: The project is aimed at using the power of Information and Communication Technologies to spread messages about prevention of HIV/AIDS and to raise awareness about the persons with HIV/AIDS. In Bangladesh society, persons with HIV/AIDS are often victim of social taboo and prejudice. The project will work with students, teachers and community members to raise awareness about the rights of persons with HIV/AIDS and prevention measures for the HIV/AIDS.

Name: Mr. Md. Imran Khan
School Name: Rani Bilasmoni Govt. Boys High School
Grade: VIII
Age: 13
District: Gazipur
Title of the project: ICT Empowers Girls

Brief Summary of the project: Women play important roles in society and lives. Therefore it is important that the women are receiving proper education so they are capable of making positive contribution to the society. Unfortunately, the rate of literacy among women in Bangladesh is significantly low which impacts on overall development of the country. Through the project, women will learn about importance of education and how education can change their lives. Using the Internet Learning Center and its technology resources such as computer, internet, digital camera the project will create a number of posters, presentations and workshop to motivate community women as well as school students to learn about the importance of education for women.

Name: Mr. Iqbal Hossain
School Name: Siraj Uddin Sarker Vidyaniketan
Grade:X
Age:16
District: Dhaka
Title of the project: Say “No”, Keep the Promise

Brief Summary of the project: The project will create a website, conduct a series of ILC based student workshops and makes a number of power point presentation to educate fellow students using the peer-to-peer methods. Information for the workshops, presentations will be gathered through internet research. A wall magazine will be published at the end of the project to share the information collected during the project period.

Name: Mr. Shajjadul Masum
School Name: Badshah Faisal Islami Institute
Grade:X
Age:15
District: Jessore
Title of the project: Virtual Library Project

Brief Summary of the project: Most Bangladeshi schools in semi urban and rural areas lack a library. This deprives the students and teachers from taking benefits of existing knowledge and information which could be utilized for their better academic performance. The project will create a virtual library using computer, internet and free blog site. This library will also include links to the online resources relevant for academic syllabus and curriculum of the Badsha Faisal Islamic Institute and other similar schools.

Name: Ms. Sumaiya Ahmed
School Name: The Ark International School
Grade: Standard II
Age:8
District: Dhaka
Title of the project: Connecting Peers through ICT

Brief Summary of the Project:Through this project students will be able to use internet and computer to connect with their peers in another school. This will enable them to meet their peers in another schools and learn their curricula, education and even interact with them. They can also create a small database
of their peer with photos.The students will use email, instant messanging and blog space to virtually interacts with their peers. This project doesn't only provide the students to socialize using technology but also give them to opportunity to share their school curriculum and practice online based collaborative learning.It is expected that students will be more interactive socializing with their peers beyond the school boundary.

The Global Connections and Exchange Project – Bangladesh is a project of Relief International - Schools Online's Global
Citizenship & Youth Philanthropy Program and has been made possible with major funding from the United States State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Global Catalyst Foundation.